新疆 郭衛(wèi)國 常玉國(特級教師)
it雖然形式簡單,但用法廣泛靈活,它不僅可以作代詞,也可以作引導詞,來引導一些固定的句式,是英語學習中的重點和難點,也是高考命題中的一個熱點。
本文以初中教材、高中教材以及考綱要求和高考考查形式為依據(jù),和大家一起談談it的學習。
關于it,我們從英語學習的初期就接觸了,也可以說it是我們認識最早,而且最熟悉的單詞之一。在初中階段,it用法散見于各冊課本,其基本意義及用法可以歸納為以下兩個表格:
表1 it作代詞和引導詞
表2 it作代詞時的幾種形式
比如,在八年級(上下冊)課本中,我們就可以見到這樣一些和it用法相關的例句:
例1. It was wonderful!(P 2, Unit 1, 八年級上)it用作代詞,指代上文的黃果樹瀑布。
例2. Well, it was the first time there, so everything was really interesting.(P 3, Unit 1, 八年級上)it指代時間。
例3. It was so exciting.(P 5, Unit 1, 八年級上)it指代上文中提到的滑翔傘運動。
例4. It is good to relax by using the Internet or watching game shows... (P 13, Unit 2, 八年級上)it作形式主語,代替不定式to relax。
例 5. A: That’s Tara, isn’t it? B: No, it isn’t. It’s Tina. (P 17,Unit 3, 八年級上)it用作人稱代詞,指前文提到過的人名。
例 6. It’s sad that many people don’t want to help others because they don’t want any trouble.(P3, Unit 1, 八年級下)it用作形式主語代替從句所表示的真正主語。
在高中教材中,it的用法也是隨處可見,但是在選修六 Unit 3 和 Unit 4中,這個知識點有了集中呈現(xiàn)。如下表所示:
表3 it用法一覽表(人教版,選修6,第三、四單元)
與表1比較,我們可以發(fā)現(xiàn):在高中,it的用法在初中基礎上有所增加,且句子結構也顯得更為復雜。如果初中學得不夠好,現(xiàn)在也是很好的彌補機會。
以選修六(Book 6)中選取的部分句子為例:
例1. It is a beautiful day here and I am sitting under the big tree at the end of the garden. (P18, Unit 3, Book 6)it用作非人稱代詞,指代天氣。
例 2.It’s my birthday in two weeks time.(P18, Unit 3, Book 6 )it用作非人稱代詞,指代時間。
例 3.We can’t predict the climate well enough to know what to expect, but it could be very serious. (P27, Unit 4, Book 6)it用作非人稱代詞,指代天氣。
例4. ...it is human activity that has caused the global warming...(P26, Unit 4, Book 6)it為引導詞,用于強調句中。
例5. ...you are finding it difficult to give it up. (P18, Unit 3,Book 6)此句中第一個it用作形式賓語,代替后面的不定式;第二個it用作代詞,指代原文中提到的smoking。
在近年全國高考大綱附錄部分“語法項目表”中列舉的語法考查項目中,和it的用法直接相關的有如下幾個方面:
1.代詞(人稱代詞、物主代詞、反身代詞、指示代詞);
2.句子成分(主語、賓語);
3.強調句。
1.考查it作代詞
【高考鏈接】(2017 ?全國卷Ⅱ,語法填空,67)
However, the railway quickly proved to be a great success and within six months, more than 25000 people were using every day.
【解析】it。此處it用作代詞指代上文中出現(xiàn)的railway。
2.考查it的相關詞:主格、賓格、物主代詞、反身代詞等
【高考鏈接】(2016 ?全國卷Ⅰ,語法填空,68)
On my recent visit, I held a lively three-month-old twin that had been rejected by _____ (it) mother.
【解析】its。此處用it的形容詞性物主代詞修飾mother。
【高考鏈接】(2015 ?全國卷Ⅰ,語法填空,63)
A few hours before, I’d been at home in Hong Kong, with______(it) choking smog.
【解析】its。此處用it的形容詞性物主代詞修飾smog。
3.考查it作引導詞
【高考鏈接】(2017 ?全國卷Ⅱ,短文改錯改編)
... ________ takes them about an hour and a half to go to work every day.
【解析】it。it用作引導詞,用于句型It takes sb. some time to do sth.。
4. 考查it作形式主語和賓語
【高考鏈接】(2017 ?全國卷Ⅰ,語法填空改編)
Like anything, ______ is possible to have too much of both,which is not good for the health.
【解析】it。it作形式主語,其后不定式to have too much of both為真正主語。
【高考鏈接】(2017 ?全國卷Ⅲ,閱讀理解B篇,改編)
Bradford said that large modern theaters in the city made____ impossible for the Plaza to compete.
【解析】it。it用作形式賓語,代替后面的不定式。
5.考查含有it的短語、表達法和句型
(1)歷年高考中,對it用于特殊句型的考查
【高考鏈接】(2014 ?陜西卷,單選21題改編)
I’d appreciate ____ if you could let me know in advance whether or not you will come.
【解析】it。 考查句型I would appreciate it if...
【高考鏈接】(2015 ?浙江卷,單選12題改編)
How would you like _____ if you were watching your favorite TV program and someone came into the room and just shut it off without asking you?
【解析】it。it作形式賓語,指代if后面的句子。
【高考鏈接】(2007 ?天津卷,單選1題改編)
He didn’t make ______ clear when and where the meeting would be held.
【解析】it。it作形式賓語,指代后面的句子。
(2)對含有it短語的考查
【高考鏈接】(2002 ?北京卷,單選25題改編)
—When shall we start?
—Let’s make _____ at 8:30. Is that all right?
【解析】it。make it此處表示約定時間。
【高考鏈接】(2004 ?江蘇卷,單選 35題改編)
—How long are you staying?
—I don’t know. ______ depends.
【解析】It。It depends意為“視情況而定”。
從初中教材到高中教材,再到歷年高考考題,我們可以看出對it的考查多集中在強調句型、it的特殊用法、it作代詞時幾種形式的變化,以及it和其他代詞的區(qū)分,預計今后的高考無外乎也就是對這幾點的考查。只要記住和理解上面it的用法和高考真題,再注意下面提到的幾點,掌握it的用法也并非什么難事。
it 作人稱代詞指代上文中提到過的事物以避免重復;指代事物或嬰兒。如:They watched the kite until it disappeared in the sky.
it作非人稱代詞時指代時間、天氣、日期、地點、溫度、距離、環(huán)境等。如:It’s a beautiful day.
“It is(was)+被強調部分+that(who/whom)+句子的其他成分”和它的變形句型“It is (was) not until ... +that...”。在涉及對it句型的考查中,強調句型是歷屆英語試卷中出鏡率最高的一個句型。
如:It is human activity that has caused this global warming.
It was not until she took off her dark glasses that I realized she was a famous film star.
1.it作形式主語的常見句型
It+be+形容詞(+for sb./sth.)+動詞不定式
It+be+形容詞+of sb.+動詞不定式
It is clear (obvious/true/possible/certain...)that從句
It is important (necessary/right/strange/natural...)that從句
It is said (reported/learned/believed/thought/known/told/hoped...)that從句
It is suggested(advised/ordered/demanded/insisted/commanded...)that從句
It is time (about time/high time)that從句
It happens (seems/looks/appears)that從句
It is a pity (a shame/an honour/a good thing/a fact,/a surprise/...)that從句
It takes sb. ... to do sth.
2.it作形式賓語的常見句型
it常用于think, believe, make, find, consider, feel這些動詞后作形式賓語。
如:ithink it best that you should do more exercise.
sb.+hate/dislike/love/like+it+when從句
sb.+appreciate+it+if從句
sb. take it for granted that...
sb. depend on/count on/rely on/see to(負責,確保)/answer for it that...
1.it指代和上文中提到的一模一樣的事物,可歸納為“同名同物”
【高考鏈接】(2011 ?北京卷,單選34題改編)
The employment rate has continued to rise in big cities thanks to the efforts of the local governments to increase ____.
【解析】it。it指代上文提及的the employment rate。
2.one代替單數(shù)可數(shù)名詞,表泛指,相當于“a/an+單數(shù)名詞”,可歸納為“同名異物”
【高考鏈接】(2012 ?遼寧卷,單選28題改編)
If you’re buying today’s paper from the stand, could you get_____ for me?
【解析】one。one指代同類中的一個。
3.that 常用于代替前面出現(xiàn)的不可數(shù)名詞。代替可數(shù)名詞時,相當于the+名詞,特指,常跟后置定語。that的復數(shù)形式是those
【高考鏈接】(2013 ?遼寧卷, 單選29題改編)
To her joy, Della earned first the trust of her students and then _____ of her colleagues.
【解析】that。代替前面的不可數(shù)名詞trust。
believe it or not信不信由你;take it easy別著急,慢慢來;make it辦成。
任何技巧的獲得都離不開大量的練習和不斷的總結,所以在努力掌握以上基礎知識的同時,也要不斷地練習,做到熟能生巧,做起題來才能得心應手。
【牛刀小試】
A.單句改錯(每句中只有一處錯誤)
1.I like that in the autumn when the weather is clear and bright.
2. It is the ability to do the job what matters not where you come from or what you are.
3. Someone is knocking at the door. Who can that be?
4. That appears that the report must be true.
B.語法填空(在空白處填入一個適當?shù)膯卧~)
1. _____ will do you good to do some exercise every morning.
2. I hate _____ when people talk with their mouths full.
3. In which film is _____ that your sister appears?
4. Nothing can stop us, can _______?
5. Tom’s mother kept telling him that he should work harder, but ____ didn’t help.
改錯答案:1. that改為it 2. 第一個what改為that
3. that改為it 4. That 改為It
語法填空答案:1. It 2. it 3. it 4. it 5. it